MQA is going into administration

[What Hi-Fi?]

Pioneering audio tech company MQA is seeking a buyer and undergoing a restructuring process.

MQA is going into administration : Read more

 

[npxavar]

This is quite unique. Wanting to sell a company ends up in the company going into administration mode. This does not increase the value of the company, does it?

 

[PeterInVan]

MQA in Administration

My concern is that this may impact my Tidal subscription.

I have years invested in curating my Tidal playlists. They have done a good job of applying my preferences to their suggested listening. I like the UI and flexibility to play Tidal on any of my streaming devices. I "like" at least one new album per week.

The only perceived advantage of the MQA compression is that I can download large "hi-res" playlists to my portable streamers.

Let's hope that Tidal can afford to quickly convert their "Masters" to the original hi-res content (like Qobuz). If I were Tidal I would have a production line going already.

Meanwhile I have exported all my playlists to .CSV in case I need to use Soundiz to move to another platform.

 

[nopiano]

MQA in Administration

My concern is that this may impact my Tidal subscription.

I have years invested in curating my Tidal playlists. They have done a good job of applying my preferences to their suggested listening. I like the UI and flexibility to play Tidal on any of my streaming devices. I "like" at least one new album per week.

The only perceived advantage of the MQA compression is that I can download large "hi-res" playlists to my portable streamers.

Let's hope that Tidal can afford to quickly convert their "Masters" to the original hi-res content (like Qobuz). If I were Tidal I would have a production line going already.

Meanwhile I have exported all my playlists to .CSV in case I need to use Soundiz to move to another platform.

I’m pretty sure Tidal offered to import my Qobuz play lists, so I’m guessing the reverse might apply, if it comes to it.

 

[gaburko]

Excellent news! A useless tech is going into oblivion, where it belongs. Good riddance! RIP and never come back, thank you.

 

[user name is already take]

At last, Bob Stuart's BS "lossless" snake oil sale is over!

 

[Hifiman]

While the necessity for MQA‘s hi-res compression is now not required by most people there might still be a use for it when streaming over 4/5G on a mobile. For this reason it might yet be of interest if it became an open standard.

 

[user name is already take]

Personally I would be very happy to see Tidal dispense with it and provide streams in their original bit depth and sampling rate, particularly the vast number of albums now masquerading as higher resolution than they were recorded originally!

 

[Terry Webb]

While the necessity for MQA‘s hi-res compression is now not required by most people there might still be a use for it when streaming over 4/5G on a mobile. For this reason it might yet be of interest if it became an open standard.

I agree with you. If you are living in rented accommodation with no access to broadband and want to listen to some hi-res music, MQA might be the only option to avoid extra excessive mobile phone bills.

 

[user name is already take]

One can always download the tracks. Besides, MQA wasn't sold as such, it was originally promoted as the ultimate lossless format, which was a lie on both counts. I hope the snake oil sale is over now!

 

[Hifiman]

Interesting news from Tidal:
’Breaking news for my reddit peeps: we will be introducing hi-res FLAC for our HiFi Plus subscribers soon. It's lossless and an open standard. It's a big file, but we'll give you controls to dial this up and down based on what's going on.’

 

[user name is already take]

A FLAC file isn't big compared to video, and I'd much rather have that than a compressed, monkeyed about with MQA file. RIP MQA, and good riddance!

 

[RobSys]

I recently purchased an Astell & Kern SA700 DAP. At the time I was advised that it's MQA decoding hardware/software had been disabled (even though the A&K website propounded it's Tidal support)...

This announcement explains why...

Rob

 

[Vincent Kars]

Lenbrook (NAD, PSB, Bluesound) has bought MQA.